Trump Labor Board Pushes to Settle Major Amazon Contractor Case
Dramatic reversal would cut off trial with potential to set a landmark precedent.
The federal government is moving to settle a yearslong case over Amazon.com Inc.’s treatment of a group of delivery drivers, averting what could have been a landmark ruling establishing the company as the boss of some of the workers it has long insisted aren’t its employees.
Since 2024, the National Labor Relations Board has been prosecuting Amazon for allegedly violating the rights of a group of drivers employed by one of the company’s former “delivery service partners,” a contractor in Palmdale, Calif. called Battle-Tested Strategies. As part of the case, the NLRB’s general counsel has argued that Amazon was the drivers’ “joint employer,” meaning it had enough control over them to be liable for their treatment and was obligated to collectively bargain when they unionized with the Teamsters. This meant, the government alleged, Amazon’s refusal to negotiate with the union was illegal, too.